Card-holder



(No Model.)

T. SHEA.

GARD HOLDER.

No. 584,487. Patented June 15,1897.

ilm- I llNrTnD STATES Tirion.

THOMAS SHEA, OF KEVAUNEE, IVISCONSIN.

CARD-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersA Patent No. 584,487, dated June15, 1897. Application led December 26, 1896. Serial No. 617,074. (Nomodel.)

T0 all whom it may concern/.-`

Be it known that I, THOMAS SHEA, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kewaunee, in the county of vKewaunee and State ofI/Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCard-Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andeX- actidescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, referencebein ghad to the accompanyingdrawin gs, and to the igures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specilication.

The object of my invention is the production of a card-holder into whicha card can be easily andquickly inserted and from which it can beinstantaneously dropped or withdrawn, which is open at the front, so asto present a practically unobstructed view of the card when it isdesirable to read the sam e, which is provided with a guard at the topfor deflecting falling dust, snow, and rain, and which is adapted forattachment to the sill, side, or other part of the car.

Vith this object in view the invention consists, imprimis, in formingfrom sheet metal or other suitable material a base-piece or frameprovided with means whereby it can be detachably secured to a car,attaching a series of bars to the same in front, hinging to the top aguard-piece or cover, and hinging to the bottom thereof a movablesupport or door on which rests the inserted card when'in position andfrom which it can be dropped.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of constructionand certain combinations of parts hereinafter set forth.

Heretofore, it has been the practice when route, defect, or other cardshave been used to tack the same to the external surface of some part ofthe car-for instance, to the side or a cross-frame tie-timber. Suchmethod of attachment is objectionable, inasmuch as it consumes thevaluable time of employees, exposes the card to rain, dust, and snow,which sometimes obliterate the writing on the same, making it necessaryto remove the tacks in order to read the inscription on the other side,and, nally, very often mutilates the card, so that it frequentlybecomesdetached and lost. By the use of my holder all these 4objections areobviated. The card can be quickly inserted and withdrawn or dropped out,can be read at a glance, is preserved. from mutilation, and severalcards can be held by the device at the same time.

Figure 1 illustrates a fragmentary portion of a car-sill with the holdercontaining a Master Car-B uilders defect-card secured in positionthereon. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the sill, holder, and card, takenon line X X of Fig, l and lookin g toward the right.

In the manufacture of my holder the following method may beadvantageously followed, to wit: A sheet of galvanized metal of suitablethickness is selected and cut into substantially rectangular pieces ofthe desired dimensions, two of the adjacent corners are next cut away,then the edges of two opposite sides are bent up to occupy a positionperpendicular to the main body of the metal, and thus constituting whatmay be called Wings,7 and, iinally, to the inner surfaces of the wingsare secured the feet of a skeleton frame made up of bars. The parts soarranged and united form the fixed element or main frame of the holder.This frame may be provided with perforations to receive screws forattaching the same in position, but I prefer to rivet on the back of theframe two metal straps and fasten the projecting ends thereof to the carbysuitable means. The movable elements embrace a top guard-piece orcover and a bottom support or door. The cover and bottom door are bothmade of thin galvanized iron cut to shape. The former is hinged to theupper horizontal edge of the base of the main frame and supported in aninclined position on the upper ends of the wings where they are cutaway. The latter is hinged to the lower horizontal edge ofthe base ofthe main frame and its projecting ends joined to the wings through themediumA of coiled springs, which normally hold the door closed againstthe lower bar of the skeleton frame. i

Both the top cover and the bottom door are preferably provided withmeans, such as projecting clips riveted in position, to be grasped bythe hand for facilitating the operation of both elements.

On the drawings I have shown but one pictured example of the physicalembodiment of my invention, and which is made by the best mode I have sofar devised for carrying out the principle of my improvement.

The several parts of the holder illustrated are identified by numeralsas follows: 1 is the base of the main frame; 2, the wings; 3, theinclined edges of the Win gs, formed by cutting away the corners of thebase before bending; 4, the upper bar of the skeleton frame7 having itsfeet 5 riveted to the wings; 6, the lower bar, with feet 7 secured tothe wings.

8 are the perpendicular bars, joined by solder or otherwise to the upperand lower bars 4 and 6, as shown.

9 and 10 are the straps riveted to the back of the base and havingperforations through the projecting ends to receive screws; 11, the topguard-piece or cover provided with the clip 12 for manipulating the sameand flexibly united to the top horizontal edge of the base by hinges 13.

14 is the bottom support or door provided with the clip 15 and joined tothe base by the hinges 16.

17 are coiled springs attached to the projecting en ds of the door at 18and to the wings at 19.

The operation of the device is obvious. To insert a card, raise the topcover and drop the same into position on the lower door. To remove thecard, revolve the lower door downward through the arc of a circle andthe card will drop by gravity.

For convenience I have shown on the drawings the holder attached to theouter surface of a longitudinal sill of a car; but it maybe located inany other position.

Changes in the disposition of the several constituent parts of theholder itself may also be made at the discretion of the manuandequivalents substituted for the specic elements enumerated. All suchchanges and modifications, however, I shall consider as within the scopeof my claims when they are of only a colorable and not of a substantialnature.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Acard-holder consisting of a base-piece of sheet metal having bent-npwings; a skeleton frame of bars attached to the wings; a hinged cover atthe top; and a hinged sup port or door at the bottom normally held bysprings in a closed position, in substance as set forth.

2. The herein-described card-holder made up of a base-piece havingwings; a frame secured to the Win gs a tcp piece or cover hinged to thebase and when closed lying in an inclined position; and a bottom supportfor a card hinged to the base and normally held in a closed position bysprings attached to the projecting ends of the support and to the wings;substantially as set forth.

3. A card-holder consisting of a base-piece having wings which are cutaway to form inclined edges 3; a hinged door resting on the inclinededges; bars attached to the wings; and a lower door attached by hingesto the base-piece and held closed by springs; in substance as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS SHEA. lVitnesses:

ANDREW M. SoHLEis, P. H. LAWLER.

